“My School makes LEGENDS” Baron Davis shares his journey from UCLA to the NBA| Advance & Win

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In episode 2 of Advance & Win we have former UCLA star & 2x NBA All-Star Baron Davis! Tune in as he discusses his journey from UCLA to the NBA, which former college athlete he’d want to team up with & so much more! Shout out to Advanced Auto Parts, when you’re ready to change your vehicle’s oil, remember that Advance Auto Parts is the place to build your bundle! Save 15% using Advance15. Exclusions apply. https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/  Make sure you sub and hit the bell to be notified of all posts https://www.youtube.com/@Playmakr  Shop Playmaker Tees & more https://playmakerbrand.com  Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzSwhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzSwew1qZNFEV_lLWLCbX4w  Check us out on our socials: https://withkoji.com/@Playmaker  Check out Playmaker HQ for more: https://homeofplaymakers.com/  Playmaker is all about stories, highlights, and in-depth behind the scenes moments of your favorite athletes and celebrities.

Transcript

00:00 What's going on everybody?

00:01 This is Polo Kerber and you are tuned into the advance and win podcast the show where we teach how to raise your game

00:08 Above and beyond the lines. I'm joined by two-time all-star

00:12 McDonald's All-American pack 10 freshman of the year NBA legend Baron Davis appreciate you joining me this time. It was happening. What's happening?

00:21 So we're in final four. We're in Houston. It's March Madness. Well, we're actually in the national championship now, but it's March Madness weekend

00:29 When you look at the championship will be some advice that you would give to the guys that are left

00:34 Man, just go out and have fun. I mean, you know, we never played in the championship

00:39 I didn't get a chance in college, but you know, I would just say live in the moment, you know

00:44 You know you made it to the game. You supposed to make it to and you know at this point it ain't no losers

00:50 You just gotta give your best best effort

00:52 Do what's best for the team and just think about you know, just stand stand poised stand confident

00:59 You know and just going out there making your mark, you know, I wish I did

01:03 Coaching right I give a hell of a motivational speech

01:07 So you had one of like the best probably NBA upsets and playoff history

01:12 When you were on the Golden State Warriors, so what would be the difference?

01:16 What's the difference on the NBA side you get a seven game series compared to college when it's just one and done

01:22 I like you know

01:23 You know colleges any you know, that's why upsets happen, right?

01:28 Surprises up and you know surprises happen, but I think in the NBA is you know, it's really about the matchup

01:34 You know, it's according to the matchup

01:36 So a seven game series, you know

01:38 If it's a one versus eight and that one has you know

01:41 A better record right where the series over the season series in that eight then in the course of seven games

01:47 It should you know, the better team should win

01:50 Especially having home court advantage, you know college is much different because there's no home court advantage

01:57 It's just you know

01:57 It's one game either you ready or you not whoever's the most prepared or have the best game that day could be the victorious team

02:05 You were packed in freshman of the year. Where would you stack up the pac-10?

02:10 Versus the other conferences in college basketball. I mean, it's hard to tell right now because you know you have no pac-10 or pac-12

02:17 schools in

02:20 The final four but you know

02:22 I just think that the talent in the West, you know and the pac-10 it pac-12 has always been great

02:28 You know, you got a lot of balance a lot of versatility and as you saw in the tournament, you know

02:33 There was a lot of teams, you know that had an opportunity to win it including UCLA

02:38 We had a couple guys get hurt one of our main guys go get hurt before the tournament even started

02:44 But you know still a strong effort and I think Pac-12 basketball is you know

02:50 It's always gonna be here to stay and I know UCLA is ultimately going on

02:54 To play in a big ten or whatever that conference is called. So

02:59 Right, so I'm just enjoying it while I can you know what I mean?

03:05 And I think you know you look at the legacy of Pac-12 Pac-10 basketball some of the greatest

03:10 You know 75 greatest NBA players come out of so you did. Yeah, you talk about you talk about that conference the greatness

03:17 That school give me your and I don't know if you even have this off the top of your head

03:22 But give me you can include yourself who are the top three?

03:24 UCLA Bruins of all time of all time Oh

03:28 Kareem Bill Walton Marcus Johnson, that's it. That's your three. It's not even it's not it's not even right

03:36 Like when it come to UCLA bro, it's not even debatable like, you know, Jamal Wilkes

03:43 You got you know, Deuze won three out of four, you know what I mean in the wooden era?

03:48 So it's like and it went on to be NBA Hall of Famers, right?

03:52 You know what I mean and all-stars and things so, you know

03:55 We always got to pay homage to the people who come before us

03:57 But you know if you think about you got Kevin Love and that got Russell Westbrook in that

04:03 You know what? I mean Reggie Miller and that yeah, it'll ban and in that so it's a lot

04:07 It's a lot of great legacy. I was saying for me

04:10 I just you know if I can walk in the room right with all those dudes and I get recognized

04:16 You know what? I mean, and I get respect and they appreciate me for my game and I'm no chump

04:22 I can actually have a voice at the table. That's all that matter. You feel them sir

04:27 I mean you just named a lot of history a lot of players who would have been one player at UCLA

04:33 You can go after you left or you can go before that you would have wanted to team up with

04:40 I mean obviously

04:42 Take your top three, okay

04:48 Take your top three out of it so we know your top three take them out. I want to learn to play with an O'Bannon

04:57 Okay

04:58 You know, I was just a huge fan of an O'Bannon like, you know his run in the tournament that team

05:04 you know just

05:07 He was just such a good basketball player and like such a great like

05:11 Superstar right as a teammate and as a player

05:16 It was just like, you know being there in LA and watching UCLA going that run

05:20 I mean, I would say at O'Bannon would probably be the guy that I would have want to play with

05:25 Before me and then I would say after me

05:28 I probably want to play on that team that we Kevin love and Russ

05:34 Yeah, that went to the final four cuz you know, even though they had a great point guard, right?

05:39 You know a super great point guard and Darren Collison. I I mean, you know Aaron a fly low

05:44 I mean, maybe I could have fit in somewhere with that squad even coming off the bench

05:48 But yeah, I would say, you know, Kevin love is another one. He was great. He was a great college player as well

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06:31 So we just had Mario on the last episode and I asked him what?

06:35 Players currently college or NBA reminded him of him and he said it was kind of hard from the name one because the game is

06:41 So different. Do you feel that same way or is there anybody that you watch right now? You're like, yeah, that's that's young me

06:48 No, I just think you know, we when you come in our hair you try and be like a one-on-one, right?

06:55 You know, you want to always be somebody that

06:57 You know you pattern your game at the people that come before you but you really want to carve out your own niche

07:03 So you'd be a one-on-one so people want to pattern their game after you right so they can be one of one, right?

07:08 You know what?

07:09 I mean and so for me is like I look at all these dudes and I see like a little bit of my

07:14 Self or flair or passing or you know ability to pull up or you know athletic ability

07:21 So, you know, I'm really just a fan of the game, you know, and I think

07:25 Also, it's just a different style like a lot of these kids are like, you know

07:30 They probably grew up watching this but like they got their own swag and you know, especially how the game is played now

07:36 It's a lot of threes a lot of high souls a lot of you know

07:40 In front of the rim just with you know, one-on-one with it with a big guy. So a lot of great finishing guards

07:48 But I love like I just love dudes like Dame Lillard

07:51 John Moran the air Fox he killer

07:56 Shea Alexander, right?

07:59 I'm sure I'm missing how the burden he called. Yeah, I'm just liking this

08:05 You know this new generation and also like the old dogs the Kyrie's the stuffs, you know what I mean people like that

08:12 We didn't get to see you kill it as much as we wanted to in college because you tore your ACL

08:17 So what was that process like like what was your thoughts when when that happened?

08:22 And then a lot of people don't come back from injuries like that at least the same caliber that they were before

08:27 How did you go on to have the NBA career? Yeah, I think you know

08:31 My story is like an underdog story like I've always been written off multiple times

08:35 My career when I got hurt in college

08:38 I got written off he'd never be back and I would be able to play like the way he plays

08:42 so my whole the motivation the next year was just

08:46 I'm gonna prove to people that I can be better than I was last year and then after that I'm out of here

08:52 You know what? I mean? Like I gotta hurry up and get to the NBA cuz the NBA

08:54 Was my dream not you know, not college, you know

08:58 Playing for UCLA was actually a dream come true, but it wasn't like the final destination

09:04 I didn't plan on being at UCLA for four years and doing all that

09:07 I was trying to take the first opportunity to get to the NBA right cuz like, you know

09:11 I'm looking at all the great point guards, you know, that's still playing

09:15 I'm like, I need to put myself in that mix. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so

09:20 Just like coming back from the injury

09:24 That was my determination was like to get past where I was as a freshman

09:27 And try to catch every point guard that they had ranked above me

09:31 So when you got drafted you were third overall even coming off that injury

09:35 What do you think it was about you that made you stand out to the Scouts to go that high on in the draft?

09:40 I think it was more I think it was my basketball IQ and the fact that you know

09:45 I was sneaky athletic, you know, I could just do I was just point guard, you know

09:51 I was a traditional point guard you could

09:53 Put me in and run a team, you know what I mean?

09:56 It didn't had nothing to do with my age had nothing to do with ability. I had nothing to do with size you needed

10:02 Everybody wanted veteran point guards and big strong point guards that could run the offense and when get back down by like

10:09 Mark Jackson a roster, you know what I mean?

10:11 Like, you know, it was it was a lot of it was a lot of just like being tough

10:15 Yeah, and you know when I came out of college, I was 215

10:18 210 215 so, you know

10:21 Nobody was gonna push me around, you know what I mean?

10:24 and so I think that's why I went three it was really like just a basketball IQ to pass in a

10:29 Passing ability and the ability to go to the league and like be matched up against other point guards

10:36 So you you were in a dunk contest yourself that you participated in you were part of the famous Blake Griffin dunk contest

10:43 Who would you say that you got to see or play with or play against? Who would you say is the best dunker?

10:49 ever

10:51 the best dunker ever I mean

10:53 Mean you gotta put Dominique in there cuz he you know, dr. J for one Michael Jordan, you know

11:03 Darrell Dawkins you got Sean Kemp like before us

11:08 Then you think about Kobe you gotta put Kobe in there cuz you know

11:13 Smashed on a gang of people. I mean Vince Carter. I would say in my area was the greatest dunker, right?

11:20 You know what? I mean like crazy then you got Joe Wallace and Jason Richardson, you know

11:25 you know, it's like I always define a great dunker by like

11:29 Being able to have game right

11:33 And dunking moments and change the trajectory of the game, you know, I mean not somebody who could just

11:38 Had hops and can do dunks. It's like can you dunk on somebody?

11:42 Can you can get up over the big man?

11:44 Like what's the moment? You know what I mean? And so like you have a lot of those history and changing the game

11:50 Yeah, that was I mean we was up 20 something. It was just like a moment. You know what I mean?

11:55 I did I actually but saying that I didn't realize y'all was up 20, but that's like yeah, that's something for me growing up

12:01 I remember that yeah, that's probably if you say okay, what's one in-game dunk that you remember off the top of your head?

12:06 Is that yeah, it was cool. It was cool. It was just a moment. It's cold moment

12:11 It was a hell of a moment and it was like, you know

12:13 It was a moment and within a moment right that was happening and you know, I caught Karolyn go off guard

12:19 You know what? I mean us in a nutshell, you know and speaking of just great shot blocker

12:25 Great basketball player was an engine the defense engine to Utah and you know, oh

12:30 ultimately they prevailed in the series because of

12:34 Him challenging every shot, you know what I mean making our lives difficult

12:38 It's just you know, you take advantage of a moment

12:41 You saw a moment and you know that moment kind of lives on through NBA history as love them. Um, that's a great dunk

12:48 What would you say going from college to the NBA? What's the biggest change in in transition?

12:55 You know

12:56 You gotta make every decision yourself

12:58 day to day decisions and then

13:01 You know

13:02 I would say now is different because everybody in the league is young when I was there

13:06 I was like I was the youngest on the team probably one of the youngest in the league at the time

13:11 So everybody had kids and was married right families and you know grown like grown men, you know what I mean in their 30s

13:17 Now I just think it's just adjusting to travel. Yep

13:23 adjusting to making decisions on your own and then also

13:25 The stamina and the frequency that you have to play, you know in college, you know

13:32 You practice all week play Thursday play Saturday, right?

13:35 NBA is like you got back to bed. You probably play four games in five nights

13:39 Then get two days off and do it again, right and being four different cities at the same time

13:45 So it's just adjusting the time

13:47 Time management and really just making it to say a lot of times is just the decisions

13:52 The things you choose to do the things you choose not to do

13:55 That can dictate how great you can be as a basketball player as an athlete

13:59 Anyway, when you went into the NBA, do you remember what your first big purchase was? Yeah, I bought a car GS 400

14:07 Oh, wow, Lexus still got it. You still got it still got it still riding Preston. Yeah

14:13 Oh, yeah, we'd be riding still the TV still work in it. You know what I mean? Yeah

14:18 Yeah, that was I was my first car

14:20 I always said like I wanted my car to count it when I had kids right like that would be a first car and it

14:26 Would be like a 40 year old

14:28 I was gonna ask what your first car was but you did that was your first cousin my first car Wow

14:33 Okay, so your first that's the first car right? You know what I mean? My money right actually no

14:38 Yeah, well my money I mean with my NBA money, right?

14:43 But you didn't you didn't have like like a hoopty or anything like that where you're at high school. Oh

14:47 Yeah, I had a couple cars and I was like, yeah, it's going college

14:52 Okay, so I went through a couple cars, but you actually got my a chick yeah and like it's crazy

15:00 Expedition Eddie Bauer had a a

15:04 Blazer infamous blazer, right? That's done

15:11 Okay, so I mean we were talking about

15:13 college and like transition so now

15:16 These players can make money

15:19 What would be some insight that you can give and maybe even to share some of the inside of the business that you're in right?

15:25 Now, what do you have going on?

15:26 And what would be some of your advice as well to some of the kids that are seeing more money than they've ever seen before

15:31 Yeah, I mean, you know, you're in college right for a long time college athletes didn't get paid

15:37 I don't think money should be the driving factor, you know, you use the college

15:41 Opportunity as an experience, you know what? I mean? Some people are there for four years

15:46 Some people are there for pit stop, but ultimately it's like you do get to professionalize

15:52 You know your life in who you are as a brand but don't just like fall for the money

15:57 You take the opportunity to learn a lesson. That's why I always say like the money is great

16:01 You know what? The money is is great, you know, but the lesson and the opportunity is phenomenal

16:07 right

16:07 because now you have another

16:08 Avenue to go in and you know just thinking about when I was in college and got hurt and people wrote me off if there was

16:14 An IL, you know opportunities. I probably would have wound up

16:18 Interning and doing more stuff as I was playing basketball than just like, you know posing, you know for product or person for product

16:26 So, you know don't just fall a victim until like trying to grab all the money you can grab now

16:32 Really take the opportunity to learn why why you're getting money who's giving you money and how you know your brand and who you are

16:39 Can match up so what what some of the business that you're working on yourself that you have now that you know your post career

16:46 Uh a lot of marketing branding content

16:49 So we run a content studio and platform called slick

16:53 sports lifestyle and culture and a lot of it is connecting brand to the influencer and the creative and then coming up with

17:00 Creative content that you know, we pitch the brands and pitch to you know

17:04 the talent and let the talent start to you know be seen as real content creators and producers and so

17:12 You know, we kind of stand in the middle as the main studio and creative agency

17:17 And it's been great because we've been able to partner cool brands with you know, cool content creators

17:23 We're getting a lot into NIL. So it gives me an opportunity to

17:27 you know partner with a lot of dudes that I've watched grow up and now become head coaches in college and

17:32 Be able to help their program or some of their athletes

17:35 Get deals right and it's not always about the million-dollar deal

17:40 Like I think the important thing is like the two thousand dollar deal the ten thousand dollar deal because a lot of these schools

17:46 they don't have you know, the wherewithal or the bandwidth to be able to like

17:53 Afford, you know afford to play in the game. So it's like if you can help some of these smaller schools or smaller programs

17:59 You know get their athletes opportunities and opportunities with cool brands, you know, I think that

18:05 That it helps play a level of playing field, you know, and it one-ups the coach and things like that

18:11 So, you know a lot of my homeboys is coaching, right?

18:13 And so I want to be able to like help them help their program, but also help the brands

18:18 I think that you know the college the college kids are the real influencers and next generation of content creators

18:24 And so it's important that you know, we allow them the platform to build last question for you

18:30 Final four weekend national champion. Who's your prediction? I don't know man. It's like two great teams, San Diego State

18:39 You know, I'm going with the home team San Diego State. We from LA. So we Southern, California all the way through and through, you know

18:46 The homie bottoms and Kawhi, you know, but our LA Unified

18:51 Brothers went to San Diego State. Yeah, I like you kind. No, they got some ballers and they play great defense

18:58 But you know if I'm room for somebody I'm definitely room for San Diego State does you cannot have a national championship?

19:03 They have like five. Okay, that's what I thought cuz yeah, Rip Hamilton got one

19:08 I know they've been to a Kimball Walker. I believe have one

19:13 I'm not sure if Ray Allen got one, but they got a couple they got here

19:17 They got some squads on some earlier about like how neither the men's or the women's

19:21 Finals had national champions. I'm like that you can't definitely has attached. Okay. Yeah, maybe I saw I saw some bad it - you right

19:30 Well, yeah, man, I really appreciate you jumping on our ass

19:36 This is Polo Kerber. This has been advancing where we're bearing Davis. Appreciate you jumping on a show

19:41 I

19:43 Went to this rainy confetti. I'm in the camera smiling

19:46 We ready

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